


Limbo Of The Creator

by Quill18



Series: Rogue Seeker [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alien Gender/Sexuality, Alien Genders, Angst, Children of War, Cybertronians as not having an analogous concept to human romance, Family, Flashbacks, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Illustrated, Non-Biological Genders, Nonbinary Character, Other, Queerplatonic Relationships, Soundwave worries about his children, Trapped, cassettes as soundwave's children, cybertronians all use nonbinary pronouns in this setting, not sure what to categorize relationships of giant xenomechs, shadowzone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26275558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quill18/pseuds/Quill18
Summary: Trapped in the Shadowzone, Soundwave looses zirself to memory files while standing sentinel over zir creations, watching the kliks tick by to their probable deactivation.
Relationships: Cassettes & Soundwave, Laserbeak & Soundwave (Transformers), Megatron/Soundwave (Transformers)
Series: Rogue Seeker [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909069
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Limbo Of The Creator

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in an alternate continuity that takes a lot of elements from Transformers: Prime and some stuff from the movies and IDW. Soundwave resemble's zir tfp counterpart but Megatron does not.  
> Pronouns: 
> 
> Soundwave: ze/zir  
> Megatron: ey/eir  
> The Nemesis: Ne/Nir (ship-mech/sparked ship pronouns)  
> Newbuild/Sparkling/"Child" Pronouns: Ke/Kir

[ _Fic Tumblr and Ask/Rp blog_ ](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

[ _Timeline Page_](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

\---

It's an exercise in futility.

Soundwave knows the results will be the same.

An exercise in insanity.

But what else can ze do? ********

**[ Overall Creation Status - Stasis]**

Soundwave's status checks for zir creations scrolled down zir HUD.

**[Status of Self - Existing]**

There is nothing else to do.

**[Unit: Buzzsaw. Status - Stasis]**

Ze is trapped.

**[Unit: Frenzy. Status - Stasis]**

Locked out of the physical plane.

**[Unit: Rumble. Status - Stasis]**

Nothing to do.

**[Unit: Ravage: Status - Stasis}**

But fret over zir creations.

**[Unit: Sundor. Status - Unhatched]**

Zir Endura, zir Megatron. Deactivated.

**[Unit: Wingthing. Status - Unhatched]**

So is Optimus. Both permanently offlined by the other's hand.

**[Unit: Laserbeak. Status: Docked, Stasis Locked. Lack of Fuel]**

Starscream. Dead? Ze wasn't sure.

The Winglord was prone to coming back from things that killed other mechs.

It was a joke once. Optimus Prime would blather on about peace instead of needed change and revolution and Starscream would never die.

But it's been decades and the remains of the once-Winglord had yet to stir despite human attempts.

Regardless, it doesn't matter.

Without someone on the other side to open up a bridge, Soundwave is stuck in this -

**[limbo.]**

Zir HUD brings up the definition, an archived term from zir trawls through the organics' primitive internet.

limbo1[ lim-boh ]

noun, plural lim·bos.

_(often initial capital letter)Roman Catholic Theology. a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants (limbo of infants ) and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ (limbo of the fathers, or limbo of the patriarchs )._

There's no term in Kaonite or Vosian for....places such as this. Did this really count as a place?

Soundwave watched as zir servos brushed through the stasis pods in front of zir, zir optics recording naught but black and white, instead of the rich hues of color, ultra-violet, infared.

Ze has no need for the religious terminology of the humans.

But the term is oddly fitting. 

_Limbo of infants._

Limbo of creations.

Ze is but a mere shadow to the physical realm.

Before zir, tauntingly lays the stasis pods of zir creations.

Locked in stasis as each one fell in battle and retrieved by Soundwave zirself or by Skywarp, Starscream's trinemate and munidor commander.

Megatron had boasted of a quick victory.

Zir calculations had forecasted the same thing.

The Seekers of Vos had lived up to their name. To seek and destroy the Autobot targets that oppressed Cybertron and manfuactured mecha into slavery, doomed into pre-programmed occupations, lives and castes, their lives decided before they were even sparked.

Vos' firepower and overwhelming ability to strike and fly out surged the war into the Decepticon's favor.

But then came the Allspark, then came the rapid deployment of M.T.Os

Mechs Made To Order. Rapidly sparked on an assembly line, factory-built and programmed, brought online onto the battlefields of war.

Not just grounders, much to the Seekers' horror.

Fliers too.

Even Starscream, factory-sparked, had not forseen the mass deployment of fresh newbuilds to war.

Creatorless. Trineless. Kinless.

Not creations to be cherished but cannon fodder for the grinder of war.

Zir digits dug into the plating of zir wing-arm.

No words to describe the horror.

Overwhelmed and outgunned-

Soundwave had no choice.

The silent mech knocked zir helm against Ravage's pod, only for zir helm to phase through as usual. 

_Limbo of the fathers._

_Or is it mothers?  
_

_Who knows with humans and their odd categories of creators.  
_

If only ze was physical, instead of this mere shadow.

Soundwave ached to feel the electro-magnetic fields of zir creations. Ze would pulse zir field, and the fields of zir little ones would flutter and echo back, little wavering pulses of healthy creations. Ze would plug into their pods and feed them information on the war, reassure their worries, that they would be protected until they would then awake to a new world.

They knew that ze fought for them,extinguished sparks for them, razed cities, bombed armies, hacked ships, destroyed the old civilization - for them

But here.

Zir calls go unanswered, zir field flickers do not recieve echoing pulses.

Ze cannot connect.

The stasis pods are silent.

And Soundwave's servos clench into fists.

The pods looked intact, plugged into the remains of the Nemesis, formerly Trypticon - Starscream's flagship.

Soundwave tilted zir helm, optics irising into the dim lighting of the ship. The only sign of zir creation's health is the pods' dim glow in the stark shadows of this....other place.

The lighting is steady, a droning buzz in the back of zir audials. No flickers.

Good.

Trypticon must be running the lights and zir creations' power charge on the locked energy of nir spark chamber. 

The mech rested zir digits on the wall, taking care not to phase through the wall. Ze stroked the wall panel, Soundwave wished that the Nemesis was aware and awake.

Some company would've been nice.

Ne had been left behind, the autobots had wanted to take it back to Cybertron. Scrap it for parts, hack into it, strip the Titan-ship of everything valuable, digital and physical assets combined.

Soundwave felt zir denta grind behind zir mask.

Ze would bet zir last shanix that their hated foe would've stripped the Nemesis of nir personhood as well.

Good thing that zir encryption locks and the Autobot's lack of energon reserves made it impossible for nir to be stolen away from nir people.

And regardless, the humans wanted the ship as reparations, so they can infest it with their fluid-filled calcium-framed carbon bodies to study.

Soundwave's plating clenches against zir frame.

Ze doubts the little fleshbags know of the Nemesis' spark.

The thought of zir creations being touched by those things...

Its been decades by human time since ze has been trapped in here. 

Nothing to do but stand sentinel and watch, as time ticks past and the statistics of the Nemesis running down into permanent deactivation.

Ne cannot run the power on nir spark energy alone even as stasis locked as ne is.

The probability of the ship getting deactivated rises higher with very ticking second.

And with that, Soundwave can do nothing but watch as the percentages slowly rise, the probability of zir creations and zir home going offline for eternity.

It has been eons since the little ones have been out.

Soundwave had not wanted to risk them, Megatron had thought otherwise. The first cracks of an once unbrokenable bond forged in the gladiator pits, a bond that been in existence: since Soundwave emerged from zir gestation pod and Megatron after being forged in the assembly lines of Kaon.

Ghostly servos brush against Laserbeak, silent as kir been for decades and the memory files play of each Creation's near-death.

The death probability, the equations keep ticking at the edge of zir HUD.

Desperate for a distraction from the countdown to the unavoidable, Soundwave brings up a random memory file and watches on zir HUD.

\---

It was a quiet night on the Nemesis. Everyone else had been in recharge cycle for quite some time.

All ze could hear was the rapid tapping of zir digits of the numerous keyboards in front of zir and the quiet drone of the computer systems before zir. Data streamed into zir via data cables and holoscreens lit up the dark bridge.

Megatron's voice broke the silence.

"Soundwave, they can be useful."

The warlord says, eir optics critically eye over the livestream of their creation's stasis pods, over the newframes sparked by Starscream and sired from eir nanites and partial frame code. Minds and frames programmed into existence by Soundwave. Even the ones sparked and frame-coded by others not of Decepticon High Command, the Warlord had still claimed for eirself. Ey claimed Soundwave for eirself, and as such, so Soundwave's creations were eir's as well.

Eir optical ridges are narrowed and eir electro-magnetic field is tight with worry, dissapointment, anger and despair.

Soundwave turns around, helm tilted in zir Lord's direction. 

Silently, ze fires back data files full of zir calculations: current projections forecasting inveitable deactivation on the battlefield even with modified MTO upgrades and battle downloads.

Kliks tick by as zir Lord processes the information.

Megatron's engines rumble in displeasure.

Soundwave can only buffer Megatron's electro-magnetic field in return. Ze pulses feelings of _concern/care/little ones safe._

Zir spark ached at the frayed bonds and zir HUD flickered at a memory file that opened with the recorded near-death keening of Ravage.

Ze immediately shut it down.

Too late, Megatron has seen the video file on zir visor.

Megatron ex-vented. Ey walks closer to zir, heavy pedes thud on the ship's floor.

Ze feels zir Lord's digits touching zir own. Eir claws, battleworn from vorns of battle, touch zir gentle. Eir plating feels warm as Megatron talks into Soundwave's audials.

"Soundwave, our creations can be repaired! Let them bring glory to the Decepticon cause! Let them bring glory to us!"

Eir Lord drops zir servos to rest on Soundwave's lower back-plates, talons caressing the edges of the armor. Digits tracing zir softly glowing bio-lights.

\--

In the shadowzone, Soundwave's vents hitch at the memory.

Before zir Lord's sanity started to unravel into illogical fantaticism.

The file continues to play.

\--

Soundwave's tilts zir helm at the touch. Ze unfurled zir data cables and withdraws them, brushing against Megatron in the process.

The warlord continued eir touch, wrapping an arm over Soundwave's lower chassis

"I miss them too, leaving them to waste...here." Megatron spread eir digits, gesturing at the livestream of the stasis pods before them.

Ze leans back into zir Lord's warmth, ey radiates _/care/ reassurance/ domination of foes/ little ones enjoying new world._

Zir own field pulses back _/pleased/commitment/aid._

The two fields melt into one.

Megatron's spark radiation burns bright, melding into zir Lord's field.

It's bright, furious, reassuring in zir Endura's determination to bring their foes to their heel.

Megatron's claws caress Soundwave's neck cables and ey tilts zir helm up, angling zir black visor at Megatron's faceplates.

They rest their forehelms against each other as Megatron traces the crownlike crest on Soundwave's helm. The sensation is smooth and pleasant. A rare treasure in a time of war.

"This war will be over soon, Soundwave. This, I promise you. Soon our creations will have a free Cybertron to grow into freedom, not enslaved like we were.

Never will they know the lash.

Never will they know the overseer's commands. 

Never will they know the uncaring Senate that considers them disposable.

Never will they be considered unnatural for being created in the bonds of comradeship instead of the cold factory floor. "

Soundwave sent back a ping with glyphs of loyalty, pride, and pleasure.

**[Affirmative. Until all are one.]**

"Until all are one, my Endura."

\---

The memory file shut off and Soundwave's optics shuttered at the shadowzone's eternal noir.

With a silent scream, Soundwave smashed zir servo against the wall, only for zir arm-wing to phase through the wall.

Slag it all.

Low fuel levels flashed on the corner of zir HUD.

Not even enough to open another memory file to get lost in.

No choice now.

Careful rationing and the non-physical state of the Shadowzone had left Soundwave able to drag out zir internal fuel reserves for years. 

After all, standing sentinel over your creations didn't take much energy.

But there was nothing left now to subsist on, unless ze wanted to offline permanently and destroy all meager chances of escape and reunion.

With one last look at zir creations in stasis, and one long mournful glance down at Laserbeak, ze had to power down.

Potentially for the last time.

With no guarantee, ze or any of the creations of Decepticon High Command would survive.

Soundwave's digits traced over Laserbeak, the little one docked on zir chest.

Zir screen went black with Laserbeak being the last thing ze saw.

\----

\----

More Rogue Seeker series stuff can be found here:

[ **https://quill18fandom.tumblr.com/tagged/rogue-seeker-canon** ](https://quill18fandom.tumblr.com/tagged/rogue-seeker-canon)

**[please reblog on tumblr if you enjoyed this work:](https://quill18fandom.tumblr.com/post/628281276804235264/limbo-of-the-creator-chapter-1-quill18) **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave will escape....eventually. But that's another story for another time.  
> Dictionary Credit: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/limbo
> 
> The trine reproduction system referenced here is from here: https://obfuscobble.tumblr.com/post/23813075922


	2. Deleted Scene - Memory File

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the memory file from first chapter. Deleted because it was messing with the one-shot's emotional vibe, but still canon to the series.

[ _Fic Tumblr and Ask/Rp blog_ ](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

[ _Timeline Page_](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

\----

Megatron knew better then to push the issue. At least ey knew better then to treat them as weapons, such an action would've lost Megatron eir Endura.

As Soundwave's digits flew over the keyboard, a video stream from Laserbeak, opened up on the holoscreen.

More hidden factories for the endless smelter that the Autobots insisted that was war. Soundwave fired back glyphs of approval and pride.

 **[Laserbeak: Return home].** Glyphs of safety, speed, and stealth accompanied the message.

**[Megatron: Look at this.]**

Soundwave flared out zir EM-field to get his Lord's attention. Zir servo tapped at the holoscreen.

**[If Vehicon factories liberated, loyalty and gratitude will cause them to bolster our forces.]**

Megatron smiled at zir, sharp denta flashing in the dim light of the Nemesis.

"And that Soundwave is why you are part of Decepticon High Command. "


	3. 404: Grief - Illustrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of the now extinct gladiator Seeker culture, only a few remnants survive. Here former Decepticon commander Soundwave displays zir veils woven for zir, by zir former Endura, Megatron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I was gonna update this fic, but I later produced some art and ficlets that tie into the overall theme of children of war and such. 404 takes place later on in the series, after Soundwave has escaped the shadowzone and is at NEST base with zir brood.

[ _Fic Tumblr and Ask/Rp blog_ ](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

[ _Timeline Page_](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

_Art crossposted to[tumblr](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/post/637742195028459520/404-grief-13-copicsgel-pensdip-pen-ink#notes) and [deviantart.](https://www.deviantart.com/eelwaffles/art/404-Grief-1-3-866029272)_

_\---_

> From the notes of Dr.Hexbolt:
> 
> Of the now extinct gladiator Seeker culture, only a few remnants survive. Here former Decepticon commander Soundwave displays zir veils woven for zir, by zir former Endura, Megatron.
> 
> Unable to fly and transformation protocols locked away, enslaved seekers were forced to battle insecticon challengers for the hives that owned them. Those gladiators who survived the fights, would melt down the frames from their foes and claim the Arachnofiber, from the few insecticon codelines that produced it.
> 
> Destroyed foes were eaten in grand victory feasts that the gladiators held in the pits and the remains casted into small trophies like the chains that Soundwave displays here.
> 
> Arachnofiber and steelsilk was processed into fine nanoweave cloth, a sign of survival and craftsmechship. Only elder gladiators like Megatron would live long enough to master such a delicate craft.
> 
> Unable to fly and claim the skies, such cloth was a sign of defiance to their masters and a method of self expression during their brutal oppression.
> 
> Megatron is survived by eir former partner, Soundwave and their plethora of creations. Most of eir former belongings have been passed down to their creations and the rest archived in the Memorial Archives. 


	4. 404: Brood - Illustrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buzzsaw is anxious over zir creator hurting kir siblings.

[ _Fic Tumblr and Ask/Rp blog_ ](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

[ _Timeline Page_](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

_Crossposted to[deviantart](https://www.deviantart.com/eelwaffles/art/404-Brood-2-3-866021519) and [tumblr.](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/post/638551663585755136/404-brood-23-done-with-copics-sharpies-gel#notes)_

_\---_

__

\---

From the notes of Dr.Hexbolt:

> Green is not soothing to Cybertronians. It’s the color of stress and alarm, due to their home planet’s numerous acid rains.
> 
> Gold isn’t associated with wealth either. It’s a color and concept associated with with prey, due to the metal’s soft and common nature.
> 
> Here Buzzsaw uses these colors in this portrait of kir juni creator during an art therapy session. A photo of Soundwave charging zir creations and Buzzsaw’s siblings Sundor and Wingthing was used as reference.
> 
> Buzzsaw has made great progress in kir therapy, especially in the use of color as abstract language and expression. Kir codeline, Voidwing and kir history as a deployer has made abstract communication difficult. Voidwing Deployers are prone to only using literal language due to their nature as surveilance, hunting, and scout frames for their creators.
> 
> The green and gold is used to demonstrate Buzzsaw’s anxiety about kir siblings and creator, with the gold showing undertones of vulnerability and the green being hurt by those ke cares about most. That Soundwave will harm kir siblings like ke was due to the unfortunate nature of natal-lock programming and that war, like with humans, does not produce healthy parenting behaviors. 
> 
> These notes have been publicly released with Buzzsaw’s permission.


	5. 404: Lost Childhood - Illustrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laserbeak mourns kir lost sparkling hood.

[ _Fic Tumblr and Ask/Rp blog_ ](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

[ _Timeline Page_](https://rogue-seeker.tumblr.com/fan%20fic%20timeline)

_\---_

_  
_

_Art produced by the Xenomech known as Laserbeak, in kir sessions of art therapy. Posted here with permission. Below is a transcript from a memory file shared by Laserbeak and Mx. Soundwave - Dr. Hexbolt._

_\----_

> Laserbeak was the last of kir siblings not to be locked into stasis.  
>   
> Megatronus and Starscream were out, both of them on the front lines.  
>   
> Ke was docked onto her Juni, Soundwave. Ke had onlined to the quiet shadows of the Nemesis' bridge, with only the soft humming of the Titan's systems around kir and the steady pulsing of kir Creator's spark.  
>   
> Ke shifted kir wing plates, Laserbeak was as usual, nestled snugly within kir Juni's chest plates.  
>   
> Spindly digits rubbed over kir helm and backstruts.  
>   
> Plugged into kir creator, Soundwave allowed Laserbeak access to zir sensory feeds.
> 
> Through zir, ke saw an endless rain of holo screens, the pulsing biolights of kir creator's data cables, the audio livestreams from the war's front lines and the shrieks and the blaster fire-  
>   
> Soundwave shut it down and Laserbeak ceased kir shifting.
> 
>   
> **[This is why.]**  
>   
>  Ke read from kir creator's private dm system. Kir visor brightened as Laserbeak processed the glyphs.  
>   
> Marks of protection, wrapped around an egg, while glyphs of broken wings and sputtered sparks spiraled out.  
>   
>  **[Rest.]**  
>   
>  [?? I just woke up!] Laserbeak fired out kir own glyphs, of Cybertron's own twin moons and spread out wings and the neon blue of freshly spilled energon.
> 
> A wish for kir to fly under the twin gaze of the moons and enjoy the fresh night air, to feel the thrill of the hunt.  
>   
> Ke felt kir creator's digits on the back of kir helm, of the encryption locks bypassing. Kir back wing plates shifted in alarm.  
>   
> Laserbeak felt two digits press on the nape of kir neck cables. Of the sleep mode button commonly found in deployers and other such newbuild models.  
>   
> Kir visor flashed as Soundwave pressed down on the switch and Laserbeak felt kir systems run down and kir optcs dimmed.  
>   
> \--  
>   
> Soundwave ex-vented as ze felt Laserbeak fade back into recharge.  
>   
> Zir digits dug into palm plates. It wasn't fair to neither zirself nor Laserbeak. But there was no one else to command the Nemesis and provide communications, not as the war ground on.  
>   
> Ke was getting too old for this.  
>   
> To be docked and sent back into recharge with a mere flick of a switch.  
>   
> But...  
>   
> Kir getting upgrades into a sub-adult, sent into the front lines?  
>   
> Unthinkable.  
>   
> Ke was the last one not to be nearly killed on the front lines out of all zir brood.  
>   
> Ze resolved to make it up to Laserbeak during zir next off-shift.


End file.
